A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE (ORGANIC) & CONVENTIONAL FARMING SYSTEMS AND THEIR ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS ON THE EARTH BY

DENNIS LEE WAN-CHIEN

THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF MULTIMEDIA (FILM & ANIMATION) (by Research) in the Faculty of Creative Multimedia

MULTIMEDIA UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
October 2008

The copyright of this thesis belongs to the author under the terms of the Copyright Act 1987 as qualified by Regulation 4(1) of the Multimedia University Intellectual Property Regulations. Due acknowledgement shall always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis.

I hereby declare that the work have been done by myself and no portion of the work contained in this thesis has been submitted in support of any application for any other degree or qualification of this or any other university or institute of learning.

____________________ Dennis Lee Wan-Chien

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following people for their invaluable advice and many helpful suggestions: Dr. Ken Neo, Dr. Neo Mai and Ms. Long Yen Yen.

iv

DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to my family and friends, who have been with me through the years, in times of good and bad.

v

ABSTRACT

The conventional farming model has been the agriculture industry’s preferred method of cultivating crops since the 20th century (“Conventional Farming”, n.d.). This model advocates the use of heavy machinery, chemicals and vast amounts of energy input. So far, the expenses have been justified in the results as conventional farming has been extremely productive, able to furnish low cost food (Altieri and Nicholls, 2001) and has been a great help in alleviating hunger during humanity’s major population expansions (Prasad, 2005).

However, questions have arisen over its environmental impact on the Earth, especially in the long term. Over-reliance on synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides, among other aspects of conventional farming, is having major negative impacts on public health and the environment (Pimentel, Hepperly, Hanson, Douds and Seidel, 2005). Organic farming has emerged as a better way for farming to coexist with the Earth (Lampkin, 1999).

This research focuses on comparing the rival farming systems and its overall environmental impacts on the Earth. Focus was given to the areas of energy usage, soil health and biology, water contamination and air pollution.

YOU MAY ALSO FIND THESE DOCUMENTS HELPFUL

...Organicfarming is becoming an increasingly popular market throughout the world. (Adam, 2004, p. 666). The aims of organicfarming are, to decrease pollution, maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, be more sustainable, and have increased nutritional benefits than conventionally grown foods (Yaping et. al., 2003, p. 298). While the aim of conventionalfarming is to provide safe, proficient...

...3/14/2012
Organic, Sustainable, or Conventional?
“Organic food is too expensive. My family cannot afford to pay that much to put food on the table.” A very common argument. Many people assume that they cannot eat healthful, organic food because it is too expensive. While this may be true on the surface, there are hidden costs in conventional food that make it much less desirable. So, is the...

...OrganicFarming versus ConventionalFarming
With the increase in concern about the dangers of the foods we consume, the demand for organic food has increased at an alarming rate. Conventionalfarming has been around for more than 100 centuries, and it is one of the most prosperous industries in the world. Organicfarming on the other hand dates back to the 20th...

...Mary Sears Taylor
ENG 1120
Blair
Date
Sustainable Agriculture: The Switch from Industrial to Organic
P1:
Agriculture is the most important user of environmental resources and plays a crucial role in the economy, human health, and production of food and fiber. Currently the debate over agriculture is how to feed the world’s growing population, but in a non-damaging process. Agriculture needs a change resulting in sustainability, but the debate begins with...

...Organicfarming cannot feed the developing world
It is argued that without pesticides and genetically modified crops, farming is not economically viable in the developing world. Non-organicfarming allows you to farm land that would otherwise not be farmable. Yields are high and costs are low. However, there is a worry that intensive farming in these countries will destroy the fertility of the land and in...

...Connie Fisk
Food and Well Being
Organic Vs. Conventional
The newest craze in today’s society is living a healthy lifestyle. Mainly through diet, people have been trying to eat healthier foods as well as foods that are better for them. A big factor in many health-conscious buyers decision is one word: organic. If a food holds the word organic it is assumed better then any regular, conventional food. But is that true? Is...

...﻿ Earth’s System Essay
Earth’s system and its changes contribute a lot to human life as we know it. There should be a balance in order for most living things to survive. A stable environment is the key to survival. Through-out many years, things Earthssystems have been changing drastically. The outcomes of change can be good or bad. The Earth is warming faster than ever before, and humans are to blame. Ever since the...

...irrigating their own sustainable food systems. They believed in a huge variety of food and a balance with the Earth, food, and their bodies. Over the past century, industrialization has occurred in our food systems and, in turn, resulted in the loss of nutrition and local farming. Organicfarming provides not only an alternative safe and healthy farming model, but a way to correct...